Suffolk’s very own radio station, WSFR, found a new home on the second floor of Sawyer this semester, bringing new opportunities and visibility to the 49-year-old club.
WSFR President Olivia Haydar discussed how the move came about and the benefits and bittersweet moments that will come with it.
“Originally [the move] was presented to the former president last year,” said Haydar. “We weren’t necessarily sure why, but there was just some movement within the administration.”
Hayder explained it was first offered as an optional movement, but this semester it became a mandatory one. With visibility being a struggle for the club and something they looked to improve on, she saw the relocation as an opportunity.
“[The move is] totally fine, I understand a lot of clubs are moving right now,” said Haydar. “There’s a lot of new ideas that are going on in Sawyer, I believe, so we’re happy to move along with it.”
The admin working with Haydar was Suffolk’s Dean of Student Affairs, Dave Deangelis, who she described as a great support system and motivated to find them a space with the best interests of the radio station in mind.
After a couple of possible options were toured in Sawyer, the club found its home in the space previously housed by the Video Gamers Army on the second floor lounge of Sawyer. This will give WSFR three to four times the space they had before when they were located on the second floor of Sawyer..
The official move for the club is Sept. 29, with plans to be on air shortly after.
“We’re super excited because this new space has a new sense of visibility,” said Haydar. “We can post flyers and info about local musicians on the windows to the street, as well as move our on-air sign so it’s visible to students in the lounge.”
With all of this a bit unexpected, Haydar expressed how supportive not only the club’s faculty advisor, Matthew Desi, has been, but also her fellow board members.
“The WSFR e-board has been working extremely hard with this move,” said Haydar. “The team is sad that we’re having to move. It’s kind of our second home away from home. A lot of students live on campus so they’re already away from home, so we kind of have WSFR as that safe space for our members to kind of relax, to feel comfort, to feel at home.”
With the move, however, Haydar pointed out that club members will get to make a new space their own. With new furniture, space for their mics, soundboards and working out acoustics, they have an opportunity to make WSFR even better.
Once they are settled, WSFR plans to host DJ events, open mics and concerts on top of their general meetings every other Tuesday.
With WSFR’s move also comes some changes and improvements for other groups on campus.
“The SUPD office space currently located in front of the elevators in the Sawyer lobby, will relocate to the space occupied by the radio station,” said Greg Gatlin, vice president of communication at Suffolk. “To clarify, SUPD [headquarters] will not be moving and will remain in Ridgeway. We are simply swapping the existing spaces in Sawyer.”
With the Student Games Lounge’s space now being taken over by WSFR, they also have an upgrade of their own.
“With the relocation of the [Student Games] Lounge to Sawyer 408, the group now has three times the space they previously had on the second floor,” said Gatlin. “The new location provides them with the space to expand and enhance their gaming experience, which is something gamers had been hoping for.”
Similar to WSFR, the Student Games Lounge President Bella Luongo expressed her club’s similar bittersweet feelings towards their move from the second to fourth floor of Sawyer.
“When it came to moving out of our old room, we were all, e-board and members alike, so excited,” said Luongo. “The old room holds so many fantastic memories for us, but we knew it was time for a change and to expand, since the club gets bigger each year.”
She explained though the move was tough, at the end of it all it led to a more organized version of their club and its space.
“It’s been a tough move, but in the end this means a better, more organized version of our club. We can keep our Dance Dance Revolution set up permanently, and have more space to include gaming areas, study areas, and even a cozy corner,” said Luongo. “Our club is so excited for this new beginning.”
Movement around campus may take some adjustment, but for the growth and future of Suffolk groups, it should be for the better as well.
